Secular Conversations on Shabbat
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Question
Hello, If a person lives in a household where they do not adhere to the prohibition of secular conversations on Shabbat, can he be stringent about this, especially when attending meals at his parents' house where the conversation is more secular? Or should he try with all his might to speak only words of Torah and avoid secular conversations?
Answer
Hello
Avoiding secular conversations on Shabbat is a stringency, not a law.
In everything that is not a fundamental law, one must weigh the benefit against the loss.
For example, someone who argues with his wife and children to observe a stringency is mistaken.
Someone who, God forbid, causes any harm to his parents and violates the Torah prohibition of causing distress to parents for the sake of a stringency is sinning, not being stringent.
However, it is certainly correct to find topics of conversation, such as interesting discussions in the weekly Torah portion or halacha, and in this way, he will cause everyone to rejoice in his conduct.